Focal Point - 2008/02

68 MODEL AVIATION
Focal Point
Jim Otter (10037 SE Eastview Dr., Portland OR 97086; E-mail:
[email protected]) built his Noorduyn Norseman from a Unionville kit,
available through Scale R/C Models.
The model spans 85.5 inches and weighs 12 pounds on floats. A
Saito 100 four-stroke engine turns an APC 15 x 6 propeller,
providing plenty of power for use with the floats. The airplane can
be converted to wheels in roughly a half hour.
The floats are part of the Unionville kit, but the mounting system
was modified to be as scale as possible. Jim used scale steering
cables equipped with Ernst water rudders.
As does the full-scale airplane, the model has flaps and
flaperons. Guidance is provided by JR radio gear with seven servos.
Covering is SolarTex, and the finish is Behr premium latex
house paint and Minwax polyurethane semigloss clearcoat. The
markings are custom decals.
“It flies like a dream and taxis very well on the water,” wrote
Jim. “This large model is impressive in the air and on the ground.”
Terry M. Jorgensen (2450 Mercedes Ave., Highland CA 92346;
E-mail: [email protected]) built his Ercoupe from a 1/3-
scale Balsa USA kit.
It weighs 34 pounds and spans 120 inches. A Saito 300 twin
four-stroke engine provides the power. Terry painted the Ercoupe
with Klass Kote epoxy.
The radio equipment is JR and the onboard glow driver is by
Nelson Hobby. The parts for the landing gear were included in the
kit but needed to be built. All radio gear and electronics are
underneath the pilot seat.
Klassy Ercoupe
Noorduyn Norseman
Jim Carter’s (407 Kingston Dr., Pittsburg PA 15235; E-mail:
[email protected]) wife, Betsy, holds the Sig Fazer he built from
a kit and modified to bring up to today’s 3-D performance levels.
He slightly enlarged all movable control-surface chords with bolton
Side Force Generators on the wingtips, to enhance rudder authority.
The model incorporates dual fuel tanks—2 ounces and 6 ounces—and
the former is behind the engine to provide a more consistent fuel flow.
The 48-inch-span Fazer is powered by a GMS .47 engine that turns
an APC 12 x 4 propeller. The Hitec computer radio system uses five
ball-bearing servos and provides flaperon control. Covering is orange
UltraCote with fluorescent yellow trim and gold and dark-blue kit
decals.
Jim Dumke (4200 N. River Bay Rd., Waterford WI 53185; E-mail:
[email protected]) built his RC Nobler from a Top Flite kit. His other
Nobler is from a CL kit his wife gave him for Christmas 35 years ago.
The CL Nobler was powered by a McCoy .35 engine and flew
great. The RC version is powered by an O.S. .52 Surpass four-stroke. It
employs six JR Sport ST47BB servos and a JR R770 receiver, and it is
controlled by a JR XP8103 radio.
Jim built the RC Nobler with fixed gear, but it does have
operational flaps. Jim’s son, Jason, applied the MonoKote covering.
“The Nobler RC airplane has eight flights on it and is a lot of fun,”
wrote Jim.
Nobler Then and Now
SFG Fazer
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David Shallenberg (4102 Mockingbird Ln., Rogers AR 72756; Email:
[email protected]) built his Great Lakes Special from Gordon
Whitehead plans. David diverged from the plans by making his own
cowl from balsa and plywood instead of ordering one made from
fiberglass. The cowl was split to allow removal without taking off
the muffler and needle valve.
A SuperTigre .51 engine and Futaba radio power the model.
Covering is UltraCote—white on top with red-and-white
checkerboard on the bottom. All trim is UltraCote Paint. David made
the decals with scans of the full-scale graphics from documentation
he purchased from Bob’s Aircraft Documentation.
“The airplane represents a lot of work but has been very
rewarding,” wrote David. “I love to build as much as I love to fly.”
Fred Rella (L) built this Extra 300L from a discontinued Great
Planes kit and presented it to Bob Weideman (8803 W. Port Au
Prince, Peoria AZ 85381; E-mail: [email protected]) the first
week of August 2007.
Bob installed a Hitec receiver and servos, and he chose a Hitec
Eclipse 7 radio for control. The engine is an O.S. .46 FX.
The 58-inch-wingspan Extra is covered with MonoKote and
finished at a weight of 5.8 pounds.
“The test flight was almost perfect,” wrote Bob. “Fred did a
beautiful job of building and covering. Thank you, Fred.”
Great Lakes Special
Extra-Special 300L
R. Lynn Hendry ([email protected]) built his P-40E from a
Hangar 9 ARF kit.
The P-40 was one of World War II’s most popular US fighters.
It was the last of Curtiss Aircraft’s famous “hawk” line that
originated in the 1930s, and it was eventually morphed into the P-
40E.
This 65-inch-wingspan model is equipped with a Saito 100 fourstroke
engine and controlled by an Airtronics RD6000 radio. The
model came equipped with retractable landing gear, and its all-wood
construction is completely covered with UltraCote; even the
graphics are UltraCote.
Lynn’s P-40E placed first at the Spokane, Washington, model
show and swap meet in January 2006.
Show-Winning P-40E
Marty Churilla (140 Scenery Rd., Wheeling WV 26003; E-mail:
[email protected]) built his Trainermaster from a
discontinued kit purchased from Eagle Hobby Shop in Suffolk,
Virginia.
The model spans 53.5 inches and weighs 4.5 pounds. It is
powered by an O.S. .46 FX engine and guided by a Futaba T6AX
radio system.
“I wanted the plane to have a more ‘modern’ trainer finish,”
wrote Marty. “I selected a U.S. Navy trainer paint scheme.”
Marty covered his airplane with a combination of MonoKote,
Sig stars from the ready-made decal sheet, automotive lacquer,
MonoKote Trim Sheets, and Chartpak 1/32-inch graphic tape to
customize the remaining graphics.
PT-Trainermaster
See page 198 for submission guidelines
Focal Point
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